


Resolution

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Belgariad/Malloreon Series - David & Leigh Eddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-20
Updated: 2007-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 07:15:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1638440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Hettar returns from Mishrak ac Thull, he and Adara finally talk. Set during <i>Enchanters' End Game</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Resolution

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks go to Mynuet for her beta-reading and editing skills, as well as her ideas and overall awesomeness. A lifesaver, yea verily. :D   
>  Thanks also go to Maenaine for her willingness to listen to me talk about the story, and her willingness to read the books. :D
> 
> Written for JayTheNerdKid

 

 

It was quiet in the room where Adara was recuperating. The few people she saw were the doctors, who had taken over when Lady Polgara and the army left for Mishrak ac Thull, and a few of her cousins, who told her the rumors they heard about the army's movements. Queen Silar didn't visit often but when she did, she would talk to her gently and keep her company for hours. Adara was thankful for her presence.

Despite how much time seemed to have passed since she'd blurted out her secret - when she wasn't even dying! - she was still embarrassed. The next time she suffered a mortal injury, she'd have to check to make sure she really was going to die before making any sweeping declarations of love. It would certainly save her from feeling extremely silly.

"Lady Adara?" A girl, maybe around nine or ten, had opened the door while Adara had aimlessly stared out of the window. She stood just inside the room, shifting from one foot to another. "Lord Hettar is here to see you."

Adara tried not to blush as she nodded. Ever since she'd gotten word that Hettar was headed back, she'd felt the very sensible need to hide somewhere dark, but she had to face him sometime.

Once, years ago, the two of them had spoken about girls and being of marrying age. Adara had been subtly testing the waters, as she had been in love with Hettar for years by that point. After Hettar's firm response that he never planned on marrying, she had promised herself that she would never tell him how she really felt - not unless she was sure he had changed his mind.

When she had finally told him her secret in an embarrassingly melodramatic way ( _He finally got away from me?_ It would have been better if she _had_ died!), she was left with no idea what to do next. He'd left for battle shortly afterward her declaration, but he had said that he wanted to speak with her.

Was he just going to tell her that he had had time to think it over and the idea was just silly, so she should stop mooning over him and marry someone else? After all, he hadn't said that he loved her or that he wanted to marry her. Maybe he was trying to let her down gently by letting her have time to find someone else before he came back to firmly refuse her. Although how she could do that from her sickbed, she surely didn't know. It was very inconsiderate of him.

"Lady Adara?" the girl said again, looking concerned. "Are you well enough to receive him?"

Adara looked up. "Yes, I apologize. Please send him in." The words were out of her mouth before she knew she was going to say them. But, Hettar was likely to make good on his threat to make every horse in Algaria find her if she ran away. She might as well get it over with.

Hettar entered, looking travel-stained and worn around the edges. The long scalp lock of hair flowed as it always did, and before Adara could get lost in his eyes or the strong angles of his face, she turned to look out the window again.

"I think it's time we had that talk now," Hettar said in his soft voice. Adara had to work to keep her face impassive. Hettar's voice had always been lovely to listen to, whatever he was saying.

"I'd rather not," Adara murmured, not looking at him.

"But we will," he said firmly.

"I know," Adara said. She wanted to tell him that she knew that he was just going to turn her down, but opening her mouth was what had landed her in this mess in the first place. If she'd learned nothing else, it was the value of silence.

The silence was lasting just a bit too long, though. She persevered, and he finally spoke. "Why had you never said anything before about what you felt for me?"

Adara sighed and looked back at him. "What would have been the point?"

Hettar looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when you were fifteen and you told me that Selina and Derana had been following you around, wanting you to marry one of them?"

Hettar blinked. "Not off-hand," he admitted.

Adara smiled a little. "You were annoyed that they were following you around, professing their love to you and acting silly."

"That was when I was fifteen," Hettar pointed out, still looking confused.

"What has changed since then?" Adara asked him frankly. "You still want to kill every last Murgo you can, you still want to serve the king without distractions, and you still don't suffer fools. Having another girl following you around and carrying on inappropriately would only have annoyed you." She shook her head, looking out the window again. "I valued our friendship, so it was better that I said nothing."

"And you've believed this for all this time?" Hettar asked, his face grim.

"Yes, my lord," Adara replied, smoothing the blankets around her and smiling sadly. "You told me that day you would never marry. You looked as adamant about it as you do whenever you speak of Murgos." She breathed in deeply and looked through the window again. It was easier to talk to him if she didn't look him directly in the eye. "Nothing I would say was going to change your mind, so I said nothing."

"It never occurred to you to ask me if my views on marriage had changed?"

"Of course not - and I already know what you're going to say," Adara said patiently. "I don't know if I can bear hearing it at the moment, so may we leave it unspoken?"

Hettar's frown held a fierceness that had rarely been directed at her. "What do you think I'm going to say?"

Adara sighed. "That the idea of you getting married is preposterous. You have duties to attend to, and you don't need the distraction, and even if you wanted to marry, you have never considered me in that light."

"I sound rather direct," Hettar remarked drily.

"You'll be firm on the subject," Adara replied calmly. "You will do everything in your power to make sure I forget my foolish designs on you, and when you are sure that I have, you will continue on with your life, unhindered by such a silly girl."

"Is that what you think of me?" he asked harshly.

"Hettar, you have more important things on your mind than marrying and having children," she replied, looking at him peevishly. She was beginning to agree with something that Ce'Nedra once told her, that men really were dense until things had to be clearly explained to them.

"I see."

"You once told me that you liked me because I was sensible, unlike other girls my age," Adara said, half-smiling. "It's one of the things I like about you as well."

Hettar's frown disappeared, leaving behind a expressionless face. "Are you finished?"

Adara blinked, and after a moment, she laughed quietly. At Hettar's puzzled look, she explained, "I swore that I wasn't going to go on and on about things, and I seem to have done it without my wanting to. I apologize, my lord."

Hettar nodded, and then thought for a long moment before speaking. "I couldn't stand to see that arrow sticking out of your chest."

Adara blinked.

"It hurt to see you that way," he continued in his soft voice. "I wanted to take it out, but Ariana insisted that it had to stay where it was or else you could die." His eyes met hers. "You took an arrow that was meant for me, and you nearly died."

"I'd do it again," Adara told him quietly, matter-of-factly.

Hettar stared at her.

"Do you think I wouldn't?" Adara asked him.

Hettar shook his head. "I don't want you to be hurt because of me."

"But you can't stop me," Adara replied with a smile. "It seems we're both destined for disappointment."

"No, we're not."

Adara frowned. "We're not?"

Hettar shook his head. "While I was killing Murgos at Thull Mardu, I found myself thinking of you, and how I felt when I saw you..."

Much too fascinated to interject, she waited until he started talking again. "I still killed as many Murgos as possible - I can't remember how many - but it was for you. Because one of them had made me think I lost you, like I lost my parents." He reached out and gently touched Adara's hand. "But I had something more to think about than just killing Murgos."

"What are you saying?" Adara murmured, frowning a little. She wanted to hope, but at the same time she found herself wanting _not_ to hope, to not feel her chest tightening with possibility or with another crushing disappointment.

"It's a bit soon to make promises, but..." Hettar paused, then took her hand more firmly. "I want to see where this leads."

Adara touched his face gently with her other hand and felt more certain than any other time in her life. "I do, too."

THE END

 


End file.
